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Listings (3)
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10/25/14 This photo shows the renters mistakenly in MY driveway
asking to unload their luggage.
I was able to do a screengrab from a videoto capture the latest
renters. They tried to open a neighbors gate by mistake.
The screengrab below is from September 2014. And in comparison,
today the host has 50 reviews but has removed her headshot from the
listing presumably to try to conceal her identity. In addition, the
host listed three properties back in 2014, but did not live in any
of them. This couple owns 3 homes worth over $4 million. They are
not in financial difficulty.
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July 2014 - a company retreat. They 11/10/14 A group of renters
unloadingalso had a caterer. Luggage at the rental.
3 business men entering the lower level. Renters are parked in
front of another neighbor'sof the rental. The house is split into
two garage and also in the rental's driveway even though it is
Rl.
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Heidi Ifft 17 Buccaneer St.
Marina Dei Rey, CA 90292
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012 ,
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term RentalsDear
Councilmember Bonin:My name is Heidi Ifft. I am a 40-something,
professional. I work as a talent representative, managing actors. I
have lived at 17 Buccaneer St. for over 20 years and I once loved
my quiet, peaceful neighborhood that has been turned into
fraternity row. I've e contacted you 3-4 times previously asking
for help.
I am AGAIN writing to urge you to quickly take action to curb
the short-term rental problem in Los Angeles, and relieve the
pressure it is putting on our neighborhoods.
I live in an older home, a duplex, built in 1917. Three years
ago my offsite landlord converted the upstairs unit of the house in
which I live - into a vacation unit. The noise level (no insulation
in older home) is unbearable and beyond words. I have spent many
nights sleeping in my garage. These people are on vacation. I,
however, must wake up and work.
In addition to extremely loud noise levels and general chaos, I
do not feel safe. I have no idea who is upstairs on any given day
or week. I am forced to share common space with people I don't know
- rude people --1 don't want to know. The landlord doesn't even
know who they are or how many people he/she has living above me. I
don't know if they have been screened properly or if I am sharing
physical space with a rapist, pedophile, murderer or a thief.
At least once a week, a confused or drunken vacation renter
enters my house, by mistake, I assume. This is a VERY dangerous
situation for a single woman who happens to own a weapon for
protection.
In the past year, we have had two burglaries -- that may or may
not -- have been connected to the revolving door of vacation
renters. In February, short-term renters "accidentally" poisoned my
dog. In March, there was a physical altercation in that unit;
neighbors who believed domestic abuse had occurred called the LAPD.
I have had been threatened numerous times by male vacation
renters.
In early May, there were at least 30 people upstairs yet the
landlord claimed there were only five (5). The foot traffic caused
framed photos to fall off my walls. Ceiling light bulbs fell to the
floor and shattered. My bedroom-ceiling fan came crashing down. I
had more damage, in one week, than I have had in every earthquake
combined over the past 20 years. This house cannot hold 30 people
safely. The landlord doesn't know (or doesn't care) how many people
are actually renting the upstairs unit.
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My neighbors complain TO ME about the noise, excess trash,
screaming children, drunken people dancing on the deck at 3.00 AM,
blocked garages, etc. I am NOT responsible.
Who will be held liable for a death or an injury? I strongly
fear that is what is going to happen ultimately. If the city drags
its feet much longer, I believe Los Angeles will incur liability
for turning a blind eye.
Last month, a venture capitalist purchased one of the units in
the building next door to me. He has turned that unit, 11 Buccaneer
St., Unit 3 into a vacation rental property. I am now officially
surrounded by illegal hotels and by people who actually frighten
me.
I have been complaining about living under an illegal hotel for
nearly three years. NO ONE will help. I cannot afford to move; in
fact, I am hemorrhaging money because I cannot find a roommate
willing to live under 'what sounds like' a Gymboree with a bowling
alley. I certainly would move if I could afford it. Even if I could
afford to move, the rental property inventory is very scarce
because everyone is turning his/her home or apartment into a
short-term, vacation rental.
As for "playing whack-a-mole" and not being able to catch or
prove the units are being illegally rented, I have collected pages
of audio recordings, texts from landlord, and photos of renters,
which prove I live under an illegal vacation unit. It isn't
difficult to obtain.
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.Thank you for your
consideration.Sincerely,
Heidi Ifft 17 Buccaneer St.Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 (310)
827-0930
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The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmembers Bonin and Huizar,
I've lived in Los Angeles off and on for almost 15 years. I've
tried to make it work with other cities, but I always wind up back
in what always felt the most like home. But lately it's a hostile
place for creative types like me. As a freelance patternmaker
serving the apparel industry, I struggle to get clients willing to
pay more than the rate I've been charging since 2005.
So with rents skyrocketing and so little housing available, it's
becoming impossible for me to live here. I've even gone so far as
to start looking for work in Portland, to be one of the many
creatives migrating outside of California in search of affordable
housing. I first moved here to attend FIDM in 1990. It was so easy
to find a nice place to live in a good neighborhood, and I knew so
many people getting by on almost nothing, because LA was a city
where you could show up with nothing more than a dream and carve
out a life for yourself. Not anymore.
I am writing to urge you to quickly take action to curb the
short-term rental problem in Los Angeles, and relieve the pressure
it is putting on our neighborhoods. I really like the plan you
outlined, which I read about recently. I am so happy that you're
trying to fix this problem.
At the peak of the market in 2007, I sold my Silverlake condo to
go to business school, hoping to return to LA and get the sort of
job that would enable me to buy a home in the hills in my favorite
city. Things changed a lot over those two years, and the job market
disappeared. I made my way back to LA anyway, knowing I could
always find work in fashion. I discovered how much DTLA had
improved and was so excited to live there and enjoy the absolute
most DIVERSE neighborhood I'd ever seen in Los Angeles. Having
lived here during the riots, I cherish anything that fosters
diversity in LA. Downtown's relationship with Skid Row, our growing
Metro rail sytem, the great streets initiative you just approved
(thank you!!!) all foster diversity & inclusion. I have often
said that I think NYC has such better racial integration than LA
because everyone rides the subway together. People sitting alone in
cars only serves to make us hate each other. That diversity is
threatened by Airbnb, by greedy landlords trying to focus only on
tourist and party rentals.
The cost of living here is also being ruined by short-term
rentals, as well as a host of other factors. I've been priced out
of downtown since I moved there in 2010, and now live in a
decrepit, squalid apartment in Frogtown with one of the few
landlords who isn't trying to rob tenants. She's lovely, but I
really miss being able to walk to work, or chat with my neighbors
in the rooftop Jacuzzi, or even wash my dishes in a dishwasher.
While plenty of apartment buildings forbid sub-leasing, there
are some downtown apartment buildings (I've heard) that are focused
primarily on Airbnb! Plus renting entire homes out destroys the
homebuying market for people who can buy homes they actually want
to live in. They're pitted against investors with wads of cash,
many of whom don't even live in America, but take their rental
income and
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spend it all in China. That's one of the quickest ways to
improve our economy- don't just hardline shortterm rentals, tax
real estate investors so much they won't want to bother.
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.Thank you SO MUCH for caring about the
PEOPLE of LA!
Sincerely,Susanna Schick, MBA Sustainable Fashion LA 2852
Rosanna St #3 Los Angeles, CA 90039
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August 24, 2015
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Short-Term Residential RentalsCouncil File #14-1635-S2
Dear Councilmember Bonin:
This letter is submitted on behalf of "Keep Neighborhoods
First," a coalition of neighbors, tenants, and affordable housing
proponents who are concerned about short-term rentals and their
effect on Los Angeles' residential communities. We would first like
to thank you for bringing attention to this matter, and recognizing
the need to effectively regulate short-term rentals, as other
neighboring cities such as Santa Monica and West Hollywood have
done. This is an important first step toward protecting our
valuable housing stock, reining in the growing concentration of
commercially-operated short-term rentals, and protecting our
diverse residential communities.
In the past five years, the proliferation of short-term rental
websites such as AirBnB, VRBO, and Home Away have made it easier
for property owners in desirable destination cities to connect with
vacationers who are willing to pay inflated nightly rates. We do
not oppose legitimate home-sharing where the rental is a couch or
spare bedroom, and the owner is present in their primary residence.
However, that is not occurring in the majority of L.A.'s short-term
rentals. Most bookings are whole-unit listings by
quasi-professional leasing agents masquerading as hosts.
The growth of this industry does not come without serious
negative impacts - both long and short-term - to the fabric of our
city. Popular neighborhoods such as Venice, Echo Park, Hollywood,
and Silver Lake are being overrun by short-term rentals pushing out
the very locals who make the community desirable. Commercial
investors are quickly stockpiling our city's affordable housing to
get a piece of the pie. And, quality hospitality jobs are being
threatened by the use of lower paying, unprotected, domestic
workers. As this issue moves forward through the legislative
process, we urge you to keep the following concerns in
consideration:
I. The Toll on Housing
Affordable housing is the bedrock of our communities, but as we
already know, Los Angeles has the least affordable rental market in
the country and the second-least affordable region for
middle-class
1
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families looking to buy a home.1 The Los Angeles Department of
City Planning's latest Housing Needs Assessment reported that the
city must build an additional 3,500 units of affordable housing
each year to keep pace with the backlogged demand. Unfortunately,
the city is only averaging approximatelyI, 100 units built per year
since 2006. If you are an Angeleno looking for an affordable place
to live, the only thing more troubling than these figures is the
latest threat to affordable housing: short-term rentals and illegal
rogue hotel operators.
Short-term rentals have had and will continue to have a
disastrous effect on the supply of housing at all income levels if
left unchecked. Property owners who rent out for short terms often
stand to make a substantial amount of money - certainly more than
if they rented to long-term tenants. This creates a tremendous
financial incentive for landlords to take units off the rental
market and convert them to short-term rentals. This is big
business, and more money can be made in a few days than with a
lessee of 12 months or more. With Gold Rush frenzy, long-time
tenants are being harassed to leave their homes and entire
RSO-controlled buildings are being converted into de facto hotels
complete with lock boxes and maid service. It was recently reported
that approximately 10,943 housing units have been removed from our
housing stock and converted into short-term rentals.2 At the
current rate of affordable housing construction, it would take
decades to recover from this deficit. In Venice alone, there are
1,428 AirBnB listings, all without public approval.3 An astonishing
78.3% of those listings are entire homes and apartments.4 These
rentals are so lucrative that they are dramatically affecting the
supply of apartments as units are pulled off the rental market and
put into the tourist market.
If short-term rental platforms continue to proliferate, we will
continue to see our housing supply constrict and rental costs rise.
Perhaps most importantly, we stand to completely diminish Los
Angeles' valuable RSO housing stock. Investors are profiteering
from the short-term rental of RSO units, making the affordable
housing shortage in Los Angeles that much more acute.
Rent-controlled tenants are being evicted not to make way for
owners, but to make way for tourists. Unfortunately, the
neighborhoods that are most popular with vacationers and short-term
renters are also the neighborhoods with the highest rents and low
rental vacancy. In other words, the areas in Los Angeles that are
now the least affordable to live are becoming even more
unaffordable because of short-term rentals.
II. Where Goes the Neighborhood?
While property owners and middle men commercial operators may be
cashing in on the new "sharing economy," Los Angeles' residential
neighborhoods are bearing the brunt of the impact. Residential
zones are intended to provide families with a quiet living
environment, free of commercial and industrial activities. However,
short-term rentals have replaced that quiet environment with noise,
anxiety about personal safety, and the nuisance of a steady parade
of transients who have no investment in the neighborhood.
Hard-working Angelenos who never intended to live next to a
hotel must now contend with loud music at all hours of the night,
littering, increased traffic, parking deficiencies, and partying
vacationers 24
1 Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies2 LAANE,
"AirBnB, Rising Rent, and the Housing Crisis in Los Angeles," March
2015 - http://www.laane.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf, Addendum August 20153
www.insideairbnb.com/los-angeles/index.html4 Id.
2
http://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.insideairbnb.com/los-angeles/index.html
-
hours a day, 7 days a week. But, it's not only living next to a
hotel, but a hotel without any employees to fix the problem. In
normal situations, neighbors would be able to discuss the issue,
mitigate whatever problems exist, and handle things. In most
short-term rental cases though, the property owner is simply not
present. Neighbors are left with a deteriorating community and no
tools to rectify the situation.
Furthermore, the loss of community, diversity and neighborhood
integrity brings significant public safety concerns that cannot be
ignored. A procession of unfamiliar faces undermines the
"neighborhood watch," and makes the community more susceptible to
increased crime. Also, residents in most rental properties are
carefully screened prior to occupancy with credit and background
checks. This is not the case with short term renters who, in almost
every case, hardly give any information about themselves before
renting a house or adjacent apartment. The security risk of
distributing gate codes and allowing strangers into a building
makes short-term rentals a tremendous security and safety
concern.
III. The Effect on the Local Economy and Hospitality Jobs
If short-term rental bookings and listings continue to increase,
hotels may be forced to lower their average rates to increase their
occupancy and remain competitive. Good-paying hospitality jobs may
be lost as a consequence of this new surge of unregulated
competition. It is estimated that if all AirBnb units in Los
Angeles were hotel rooms, they would employ more than 7,400 hotel
workers earning an average of $14.07/hr.5 Instead, however,
domestic workers earning far below living wage are tasked with home
cleaning duties in short-term rentals - likely without healthcare
and other employment benefits commonly enjoyed by hospitality
workers. This shrinks the pie, weakens a family's financial
security, and decreases the amount of dollars poured into the
economy - all translating into less jobs for other Angelenos.
IV. Special Coastal Zone Provisions - Mello Act
As you are aware, the Mello Act is a state law that went into
effect in 1992 to increase and protect the supply of affordable
housing along California's Coastal Zone. Per Government Code
Section 65590(c) of the Act, local governments may not approve a
project that will replace existing residential units with
non-residential uses unless it finds that a residential use is no
longer feasible at the project site or the new use is
Coastal-Dependent. This rule applies to both market-rate and
affordable units. If the city approves the project, then any
existing affordable housing units must be replaced one-for-one.
It is apparent that allowing short-term rentals to take over
rental housing within the Coastal Zone is a direct violation of the
Mello Act and the City's Interim Administrative Procedures. In the
case of shortterm rentals, the existing residential units are
converted to a non-residential, non-Coastal-Dependent use with a
clear commercial purpose. Without immediate enforcement of these
Mello Act violations, Venice and other impacted coastal
neighborhoods will continue to suffer a disastrous loss of housing
at all income levels.
5 LAANE, "AirBnB, Rising Rent, and the Housing Crisis in Los
Angeles," March 2015 - http://www.laane.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf
3
http://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf
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As you can see, the growth of short-term rentals goes beyond
non-compliance and lost revenue. There is no amount of revenue that
can replace the housing that has already been lost. Furthermore,
any revenue collected will not be sufficient to support full
compliance and enforcement and replace the 10,943 units that have
already been converted. We are eager to work with you to create an
ordinance that protects housing, addresses neighborhood concerns,
and provides a framework to ensure effective enforcement. We thank
you for your consideration and the opportunity to continue working
with you.
Judith "Judy" Goldman Keep Neighborhoods First
Cc: Mayor Eric GarcettiCity Attorney Mike Feuer Councilmember
Paul Krekorian Councilmember Bob Blumenfield Councilmember David
Ryu Councilmember Paul Koretz Councilmember Nury Martinez
Councilmember Felipe Fuentes Councilmember Marqueece Harris Dawson
Councilmember Curren Price Councilmember Herb Wesson Councilmember
Mike Bonin Councilmember Mitch Englander Councilmember Mitch
O'Farrell Councilmember Jose Huizar Councilmember Joe Buscaino
Sincerely,
4
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July 28, 2015
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmember Bonin,
I am a life-long Angeleno, born and raised. I have lived here in
Silver Lake for 19 years with my husband who is a born and raised
Silver Lake resident. My mother-in-law still lives in Silver Lake a
mile from us.
I am writing to strongly urge you to help the law-abiding
citizens of residential Los Angeles. Please draft enforceable, and
concise laws and rules in regards to short-term rentals. Currently,
as you and I know, these type of rentals are in violation of
current zoning laws and it is out of control. I urge you to quickly
take action to curb the short-term rental problem in Los Angeles,
and relieve the pressure it is putting on our neighborhoods.
In spite of the fact that short-term rentals violate zoning
laws, most of these rentals are not being forced to comply with the
law for some reason beyond my thinking. This nonenforcement has
caused "fights" in neighborhoods. In fact, in my "fight", I was the
victim of the owners of a short-term commercial Airbnb house. The
host/owners of the property once came to my front gate and started
yelling at me. They also falsely called the police on another
neighbor of mine. These Airbnb host/owners do not even live at the
Airbnb rental property here in Silver Lake. Last year, the
wife/Airbnb host and an unknown male rang my doorbell and banged on
my front gate, but I ignored them and called the police. I wasn't
sure what she intended to do to me. These owners filed a false TRO
against me back in August 2014, and the case was dismissed against
me. It cost me $3800 in attorney's fees. But this is what this TRO
was: an act of intimidation, vindictiveness and revenge against me
and my entire neighborhood because we filed complaints against them
with the City and LADBS. This is so unfair. They are breaking the
law and they take me to court! This gives you a glimpse into the
state of mind of these short-term rental hosts. They will say and
do almost anything to maintain their illegal income including, in
this case, commit perjury.
Many of the Airbnb hosts are the most shameless, unapologetic,
egregious, selfish, money- hungry people that I have ever heard
that has decided to break the law and try to justify in so many
ways. Whatever happened to my right to live in a residential
area?
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I moved here 19 years ago into a residential area, not a
commercial zone. This is so unfair to me and my neighbors. When are
my City Councilmembers going to support me and my neighbors who
live here in residential areas? Please do it now, please.
I personally would not commit a crime because of financial
difficulty. There are other resources available to law abiding
citizens. But the majority of the short-term Airbnb hosts are
willing to break the law unabashedly. And most are not in financial
difficulty at all. They know that few of them are prosecuted or
forced to comply, so they have no fear about breaking this law. You
give them an inch, they take a mile. They feel as if they have a
right to operate illegally. Well, it is an outrage to me! Look at
the problems in San Francisco as a warning to Los Angeles. Most
hosts are not people in financial straights as is the common
"story" told by Airbnb, a company that claims to be worth $20
billion. Most listings here in Los Angeles area are called "Entire
home/apt" which tells you that they are NOT renting out a room in
their own homes, but rather are making income on commercial
rentals, and are not "home-sharing". It is time for them to "grow
up" and be responsible for their own financial situations like the
rest of society. It is not fair for people with means to use the
internet and their smart phones to make money like this. How many
hosts are really people with financial difficulty? And how many are
affluent people making money on this illegal activity? Having
financial difficulty does not give a person a "get out of jail
free" card. Are they allowed to break the law?
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.
My heart is broken. I have loved living here in Silver Lake for
18 years, but the past 14 months has been very stressful and
upsetting for me because of the Airbnb rental house and their
owners.
Thank you for your consideration. Feel free to call me if you
want to know more.
Sincerely,
Jane Taguchi1963 Redesdale Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039
See photos attached below. I put them here to give you a feel
for what it is like to live across the street from a "hotel", aka
Airbnb rental. Unfortunately, I could not take any night photos
because I don't have such a camera.
-
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmember Bonin,
My name is James Adams. I write to you as a musician, teacher,
and neighborhood activist that has lived in Venice for eighteen
years.
I am writing to urge you to quickly take action to curb the
short-term rental problem in Los Angeles, and relieve the pressure
it is putting on our neighborhoods.
I am one of the few people in this world for whom Venice is not
a travel destination. I grew up here, surrounded by all of the
madness and all of the beauty.
My dad, my sister and I joined the Venice community in 1996.
Even back then, our barely affordable apartment stood in the shadow
of beach-side luxury mansions. However, unlike similar homes in
opulent areas of LA, these monoliths of gentrification represented
merely the upper echelons of an economically diverse community.
Accomplished psychologists lived right next door to impoverished,
eccentric painters. Hippies and radicals of all stripes shared the
block with well-to-do families. My dad, a humble sound engineer and
song writer, lived a few houses away from Wesley Snipes.
Despite their differences, these people shared one thing in
common: like my dad, they dared more than just a visit to what was,
at that time, a less-than-safe bohemian community. They made
themselves a permanent part of it.
Over the last eighteen years, I've watched them struggle to
preserve the Venice they came for. As our beachy bohemia attracted
more tourists every summer, Venice locals fought bitterly to stem
the tide of new hotels and amenities that accommodated vacationers
at the expense of community members. Like countless other local
families, we benefited from their efforts without even realizing
it. Had they failed and a hotel showed up right next door, we may
have quickly become activists ourselves.
Now many us find that, without any warning, a hotel has indeed
showed up right next door. Sites like Airbnb, Homeaway, and VRBO
make it absurdly easy to turn any neighborhood space into a tourism
commodity. Though these businesses make profit their top priority,
the idea behind them is not inherently evil. Some who use these
services are merely continuing a long tradition of the couch
surfing culture. They invite travelers into their homes for a more
human and integrated experience. They take responsibility for their
guests, and teach them to be a temporary part of the Venice
community. I have never charged a guest for this privilege, but I
don't blame those who do so.
Then there are the others. These others use the internet to turn
local homes into year-round hotels. They rent or buy property not
so that they can become part of our community, but so that they can
exploit it. They reap the rewards of a local culture that they help
to disintegrate. My culture. Our culture. Every new home that they
convert into a hotel is one less artist, one less actor, one less
kind
-
hearted lawyer, one less bohemian banker. One less family. One
less kid like me. One less guy like my dad.
Thanks to eighteen years of friendship and participation in this
community, I live in one of the few rent- controlled apartment
buildings still available to long-term tenants. I frequently
overhear my new neighbor, Josh, bragging about the Venice apartment
he is "Airbnb-ing" full time. I see him, this-flesh- and blood
representative of the so called "sharing economy,'' and I know that
a time will soon come when I, too, will be fighting off eviction
attempts. I know that my wife and I will lose our
home.Unless...unless we can change that story. Unless we can come
together and teach the Joshes of the' world the consequences of
their actions. Unless we can show City Hall the truth behind
Airbnb's billion- dollar PR scheme. Unless we can show them the
alienation and suffering that have become our reality. Unless every
internet platform that throws its hands in the air and says "I'm
just the middle man" takes responsibility for what it enables.
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,James Adams20 29th ave., Venice, CA, 90291
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To: Councilperson Mike Bonin 200 N. Spring Street, Room 475 Los
Angeles, Ca 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmember Bonin:
I’ve been a resident of Silver Lake for almost 5 decades. I’ve
seen the ups and downs and ups again of this fantastic neighborhood
and am grateful my parents had the opportunity to raise their four
children in a truly residential community.
We were one of the first African American families to live in
Silver Lake and I’ve been fortunate to witness the encouraging
transition of a historically restricted community to an extremely
diverse, warm and welcoming one, where neighbors care and look out
for each other.
Unfortunately, the popularity of AirBnB and other on-line short
term rental sites, weakens the fabric of our neighborhood and is
quickly threatening the precious quality of life we work so hard to
achieve.
There are over 400 Silver Lake homes, condos and apartments
listed on AirBnB. There are three homes used for short term rentals
within 500 feet of my home. Short term rentals have caused a
serious shortage of affordable housing and rent controlled
apartments throughout Silver Lake and other largely residential
communities in Los Angeles. The erosion of quality of life
characteristics of residential neighborhoods is moving at an
alarming pace, with “hosts” flipping the figurative finger to
zoning restrictions with impunity.
I’m asking the council and all pertinent city agencies and
departments, to enforce city ordinances and zoning laws which so
wisely prohibit short term rentals in residential communities. To
even consider STR regulations is unrealistic unless the city
simultaneously hires additional police officers, neighborhood
prosecutors, building and safety investigators and housing
authority agents to handle, investigate and prosecute those who
will willingly ignore any future STR regulations just as they
currently ignore zoning ordinances purely for their own financial
gain.
Why cater to those who so willfully break the law? Please pay
attention to the thousands who are forced to deal with the daily
assault on residential neighborhoods and the infringement on our
quality of life, with little to no help from our elected
representatives.
Sincerely,Anne-Marie JohnsonLife Long Silver Lake Resident
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July 29, 2015
E. Anne Bagasao for Mary M. Bagasao 1136 W.Edgeware Road Los
Angeles, CA 90026
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-52, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmember Bonin,
My name is Anne Bagasao. I am writing to you on behalf of my
mother, Mrs. Mary Bagasao, to beseech the City Council of Los
Angeles to take swift action with regard a ban of the illegal short
term rental business in Los Angeles.
I could go on and on about code violations, lack of tax revenue,
the impact on our hotel industry workers and the negative effect
that this "shared economy" industry has on our already strained
housing market but these are not the issues my mother would address
if she could do so for herself. 1 am speaking on her behalf because
she is legally blind and is 89 years old. She is currently in the
hospital after being homebound with full time care in her home
which she owns in Angeleno Heights, Council District 13. She plans
to return to her home of 27 years to remain at peace and comfort
until she dies. She has been a tax payer, a business owner and a
property owner in Los Angeles since 1947 and she deserves your
attention!
This is her story. After my mother was released from the
hospital in April she opted to return home. My brother was
travelling, so my sister and I were charged with her overnight
care. After just one night in my mother's home, I discovered that a
zoned R2 house located just feet from the room in which my daughter
and I had hoped to sleep was occupied by at least a dozen people
who were partying in the pool until 4am. I had seen carloads of
people enter the property earlier in the day, and thought that
perhaps they were new tenants or it was an open house. The next
morning I approached a man who was standing on the balcony just
across from my mother's front porch and asked him if he lived
there. He said no and that they were just visiting from out of
town. I then asked if it was a vacation rental and he said
"yes."
Right away I was able to google search "short term rental Echo
Park" and within seconds located what I soon learned was one of
several management companies that are booking the property. I spoke
with a gentleman at the company, Luxpads.com, and voiced my
complaint against their guests. He graciously informed me that
those were not his clients who were occupying the house and that I
should know that the house is listed with several other short term
rental services.
With the continual bookings at 1132 West Edgeware Road my mother
and her caregiver are subject to night after night of loud music,
trash on the street, cars parked so as to block the sidewalk or
hang over into my mother's driveway. Because there is a pool, there
are sometimes up to 20 people partying
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outside until the very early morning hours without any
consideration for those of us who live and work and pay taxes in
the City of Los Angeles. The property owner has removed the address
numbers from the house and curb so when I call the police I have to
describe the house and give them an address which they can't
technically find. There is no manager who oversees the property and
therefore no one to complain to.
One day after delivering some groceries to my mother, I
encountered a man in front of the house who identified himself "as
the guy with the keys". I let him know that his short term renters
were causing a nuisance and that the property is not zoned for
commercial operation and is in violation of city code. He knows my
mother and knows that she lives alone and is elderly. He asked me
if I thought she would "mind" if there was a party with loud music
at the pool over the summer. I informed him that unless he was the
owner or the tenant that any other use of the house in exchange for
money was illegal; and that any event of that nature would need to
be permitted with LAPD and Building & Safety. He had no
response and the illegal activity has continued.
The house at 1132 West Edgeware Road is permitted for five
bedrooms and four bathrooms but it is listed with the short term
rental brokers as six bedrooms and six bathrooms. Also, it has
parking for two cars in the garage but generally there are six or
seven that take up parking in the street in front of my mother's
house.
We've called police to report the noise and spoken with desk
officers at Rampart but we live an area where homicide reports
consume the majority of LAPD's time and it's impossible to get a
unit to respond. I have contacted Building & Safety but have
not had a response to my correspondence. The only luck I have in
getting anyone to respond to my outcries has been with Parking
Enforcement.Since learning about the illegal operation at 1132 W.
Edgeware Road, my older brother has become disabled and will be
undergoing treatment for brain and lung cancer. His wish is to
remain in his home where he has lived for the past 27 years. His
bedroom window is but a mere 20 feet from the house and pool in
question. How will he be able to have the peace, privacy and calm
that he will need to recover, in his home if the City of Los
Angeles allows this hotel/party venue to operate?
My mother and father purchased their home at 1136 W. Edgeware
Road in Echo Park in 1987 with the promise of someday seeing an
increase in their investment enough to support them in their old
age and to be able to always have a family home for their three
children. My mother has endured the many changes, good and bad,
that our community has undergone in the last decade with the
proliferation of the growth of Downtown and watching homes which
once housed families now filled with 30-something renters who have
little or no connection to our community.
In 2007, we had to hire an attorney to represent my mother when
the builder/property owner of 1132 W. Edgeware encroached on her
property and removed brush and trees without her permission. I am
hesitant to push the issue with the owner any further because he
had physically threatened my mother in the past and I don't want to
further jeopardize her health and safety. You can see, therefore
Councilman, why her situation is especially fragile. We are
concerned now that if we should need to sell my mother's home to
cover her long term care that the presence of a party house next
door will devalue the property. If we rent it will our tenants will
be subject to the same unlivable conditions?But, more importantly,
Councilman Bonin, why do homeowners who wish only to live and rest
and grow old in their homes that they have worked so hard for their
entire lives, have to suffer because of a handful of greedy
citizens who have no consideration for the law or community?
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We have no one else to turn to at this point. So, on behalf of
my mother, Mary Bagasao , my brother Brad Bagasao and all the
elderly and disabled home owners and residents of Los Angeles who
are being negatively impacted by this gross abuse of the titans of
the short term rental industry, I ask you all to do right by us.
Follow the lead of other great cities like San Francisco and soon
New York and help us by banning the use of single family homes for
vacation and short term rentals, restricting the use of individual
apartment units for short term rentals and preventing developers
and short term rental companies from converting multi-unit housing
for the purpose of short-term rentals.
Do the right thing, please. Hear our voices and not just the
jangle of the change in the pockets of those who take and think
only for themselves. I thank you in advance of your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Anne BagasaoFor Mary, M. Bagasao, Homeowner
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LighthouseInvestments
INVESTMENT/DEVHLOPMENT
PRIVATE EQUITY/ASSET MANAGEMENT
August24,2015
Qty of Los Angeles VIA EMAILPlanning and Land Use Management
Committee [email protected]: Sharon Dickinson -
Legislative Assistant200 N. Spring StreetLos Angeles, CA 90012
RE: Council File 14-1635-S2—Proposed Short Term Rental
Motion
Chairman Jose HuizarContact Chief of Staff Paul
[email protected]
Vice Chairman Marqueece Harris Dawson Contact Chief of Staff
Solomon Rivera [email protected]
Honorable Mitch Englander Contact Chief of Staff John Lee
[email protected]
Honorable Gil CedilloContact Chief of Staff Arturo
[email protected]
Honorable Felipe FuentesContact Chief of StaffRebecca
[email protected]
Dear PLUM Committee Members:
As a 34 year resident of Los Angeles, former Chair of a
Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee and a small business owner
that owns some independent hotels in Los Angdes, we oppose any
motion that would legalize short term rentals, in fact, we would
ask the Qty (as other dties have done, like Santa Monica) to take a
tougher stance against these illegal hotels.
We would like the Qty to adopt the following.
• Land Use - Short term rental (under 30 days) allowed on!}' if
underlying land use allows it (le. C zones).• Taxes — Those that
are allowed under current land use, license their business and pay
transient occupancy tax like any other hotel
to fund Qty services, as is the reason for TOT.
• Home Sharing - Adopt Santa Monica’s modd which only allows
home sharing if primary homeowner is present or the original modd
of Airbnb and others.
• Data Sharing — Airbnb and other home sharing services must
share data so that Qty can enforce the law, otherwise Qty and
residents will be left with enforcement duty.
• Enforcement — With the above data, ordinance provides for
penalties and enforcement officers to check compliance with
ordinance.
• Rules & Regulations — Hosts comply with all other rules
affecting short Berm rentals such as Environmental Health
inspections, insurance, business licenses etc.
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) i 0.556 160!' * L 310.556.1620 v \'\\ eel' ) UiXi:
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mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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lighthouse investments, llc
If Airbnb and others are really about the sharing economy and
not the illegal hotel economy, the above shall provide them ample
opportunity to alow hosts to serve guests.
A few reasons why Qty of LA has to take a strong stance:
• Largest City in the County—Santa Monica has set precedence, LA
must folow.• Wages — IA has already impacted the hotel industry
with Living Wage and Minimum Wage, hosts don’t employ anyone so
they
can undercut any legal hotel• Housing - Even if one rents their
unit for 120 days, that is 1 /3 of the year, that can take
thousands of units away from people who
actually live in their units fall time. The housing crisis is a
major issue in Los Angeles and this simply makes it significantly
worst
• Loss of Jobs — Hotels employ a lot of hard working people with
good wages, Airbnb hosts do not employ anyone and take demand from
legitimate hotels or new hotel development that can create more
high paying jobs.
• Unsafe—There are lots of stones of guests having bad
experiences at hotels but hotels are owned and operated by
companies, you don’t hear of stories of hotel guests being taken
hostage by hotel owners but these happen to guests of Airbnb. Does
an Airbnb host have a fire alarm like a hotel? No, they do not
• ILLEGAL - It is fundamentally illegal, Qty should enforce its
own laws, just because it’s a technology company doesn’t mean it
should be allowed. What if someone comes up with an app that allows
bars in homes, should Qty and ABC simply allow it cause it’s the
“sharing” economy? NO.
Many have compared it with Uber and Lyfi; those comparisons are
fundamentally flawed. Uber and Lyft face Qty licensing issues, not
land use issues, Uber has many driver’s that are licensed as limos,
the technology simply allows people to hail them different!}' than
calling them While there are some driver”s that don’t have proper
Qty licenses, it is still a licensing issue, not land use.
Land use is a critical factor in any Qty and fundamentally
creates or disrupts residenf s enjoyment of their neighborhoods
and/or enhances or exacerbates housing costs. Some ordinances allow
density near transit areas, some prohibit laige homes but none
allow illegal usage.
This is not an experiment, its real and affecting neighborhoods,
business owners, hotel guests and hotel employees. I hope PLUM will
take a firm stance as Qty of Santa Monica has done in preserving
its land use plans that have been diligently put together with
decades of work by politicians, planners, neighborhood groups and
residents.
Sincerely,
Ramin Kolahi Principal
CC: Hon. Paul KoretzCouncilmember District 5
[email protected] Joan Pelico, Chief of Staff
[email protected]
Hon. Mike Bonin Councilmember District 11 [email protected]
Chad Molnar, Chief of Staff [email protected] Keane,
Director of Land Use and Planning [email protected]
2
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
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.......
August 24, 2015
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Short-Term Residential RentalsCouncil File #14-1635-S2
Dear Councilmember Bonin:
This letter is submitted on behalf of "Keep Neighborhoods
First," a coalition of neighbors, tenants, and affordable housing
proponents who are concerned about short-term rentals and their
effect on Los Angeles' residential communities. We would first like
to thank you for bringing attention to this matter, and recognizing
the need to effectively regulate short-term rentals, as other
neighboring cities such as Santa Monica and West Hollywood have
done. This is an important first step toward protecting our
valuable housing stock, reining in the growing concentration of
commercially-operated short-term rentals, and protecting our
diverse residential communities.
In the past five years, the proliferation of short-term rental
websites such as AirBnB, VRBO, and Home Away have made it easier
for property owners in desirable destination cities to connect with
vacationers who are willing to pay inflated nightly rates. We do
not oppose legitimate home-sharing where the rental is a couch or
spare bedroom, and the owner is present in their primary residence.
However, that is not occurring in the majority of L.A.'s short-term
rentals. Most bookings are whole-unit listings by
quasi-professional leasing agents masquerading as hosts.
The growth of this industry does not come without serious
negative impacts - both long and short-term - to the fabric of our
city. Popular neighborhoods such as Venice, Echo Park, Hollywood,
and Silver Lake are being overrun by short-term rentals pushing out
the very locals who make the community desirable. Commercial
investors are quickly stockpiling our city's affordable housing to
get a piece of the pie. And, quality hospitality jobs are being
threatened by the use of lower paying, unprotected, domestic
workers. As this issue moves forward through the legislative
process, we urge you to keep the following concerns in
consideration:
I. The Toll on Housing
Affordable housing is the bedrock of our communities, but as we
already know, Los Angeles has the least affordable rental market in
the country and the second-least affordable region for
middle-class
1
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families looking to buy a home.1 The Los Angeles Department of
City Planning's latest Housing Needs Assessment reported that the
city must build an additional 3,500 units of affordable housing
each year to keep pace with the backlogged demand. Unfortunately,
the city is only averaging approximatelyI, 100 units built per year
since 2006. If you are an Angeleno looking for an affordable place
to live, the only thing more troubling than these figures is the
latest threat to affordable housing: short-term rentals and illegal
rogue hotel operators.
Short-term rentals have had and will continue to have a
disastrous effect on the supply of housing at all income levels if
left unchecked. Property owners who rent out for short terms often
stand to make a substantial amount of money - certainly more than
if they rented to long-term tenants. This creates a tremendous
financial incentive for landlords to take units off the rental
market and convert them to short-term rentals. This is big
business, and more money can be made in a few days than with a
lessee of 12 months or more. With Gold Rush frenzy, long-time
tenants are being harassed to leave their homes and entire
RSO-controlled buildings are being converted into de facto hotels
complete with lock boxes and maid service. It was recently reported
that approximately 10,943 housing units have been removed from our
housing stock and converted into short-term rentals.2 At the
current rate of affordable housing construction, it would take
decades to recover from this deficit. In Venice alone, there are
1,428 AirBnB listings, all without public approval.3 An astonishing
78.3% of those listings are entire homes and apartments.4 These
rentals are so lucrative that they are dramatically affecting the
supply of apartments as units are pulled off the rental market and
put into the tourist market.
If short-term rental platforms continue to proliferate, we will
continue to see our housing supply constrict and rental costs rise.
Perhaps most importantly, we stand to completely diminish Los
Angeles' valuable RSO housing stock. Investors are profiteering
from the short-term rental of RSO units, making the affordable
housing shortage in Los Angeles that much more acute.
Rent-controlled tenants are being evicted not to make way for
owners, but to make way for tourists. Unfortunately, the
neighborhoods that are most popular with vacationers and short-term
renters are also the neighborhoods with the highest rents and low
rental vacancy. In other words, the areas in Los Angeles that are
now the least affordable to live are becoming even more
unaffordable because of short-term rentals.
II. Where Goes the Neighborhood?
While property owners and middle men commercial operators may be
cashing in on the new "sharing economy," Los Angeles' residential
neighborhoods are bearing the brunt of the impact. Residential
zones are intended to provide families with a quiet living
environment, free of commercial and industrial activities. However,
short-term rentals have replaced that quiet environment with noise,
anxiety about personal safety, and the nuisance of a steady parade
of transients who have no investment in the neighborhood.
Hard-working Angelenos who never intended to live next to a
hotel must now contend with loud music at all hours of the night,
littering, increased traffic, parking deficiencies, and partying
vacationers 24
1 Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies2 LAANE,
"AirBnB, Rising Rent, and the Housing Crisis in Los Angeles," March
2015 - http://www.laane.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf, Addendum August 20153
www.insideairbnb.com/los-angeles/index.html4 Id.
2
http://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.insideairbnb.com/los-angeles/index.html
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hours a day, 7 days a week. But, it's not only living next to a
hotel, but a hotel without any employees to fix the problem. In
normal situations, neighbors would be able to discuss the issue,
mitigate whatever problems exist, and handle things. In most
short-term rental cases though, the property owner is simply not
present. Neighbors are left with a deteriorating community and no
tools to rectify the situation.
Furthermore, the loss of community, diversity and neighborhood
integrity brings significant public safety concerns that cannot be
ignored. A procession of unfamiliar faces undermines the
"neighborhood watch," and makes the community more susceptible to
increased crime. Also, residents in most rental properties are
carefully screened prior to occupancy with credit and background
checks. This is not the case with short term renters who, in almost
every case, hardly give any information about themselves before
renting a house or adjacent apartment. The security risk of
distributing gate codes and allowing strangers into a building
makes short-term rentals a tremendous security and safety
concern.
III. The Effect on the Local Economy and Hospitality Jobs
If short-term rental bookings and listings continue to increase,
hotels may be forced to lower their average rates to increase their
occupancy and remain competitive. Good-paying hospitality jobs may
be lost as a consequence of this new surge of unregulated
competition. It is estimated that if all AirBnb units in Los
Angeles were hotel rooms, they would employ more than 7,400 hotel
workers earning an average of $14.07/hr.5 Instead, however,
domestic workers earning far below living wage are tasked with home
cleaning duties in short-term rentals - likely without healthcare
and other employment benefits commonly enjoyed by hospitality
workers. This shrinks the pie, weakens a family's financial
security, and decreases the amount of dollars poured into the
economy - all translating into less jobs for other Angelenos.
IV. Special Coastal Zone Provisions - Mello Act
As you are aware, the Mello Act is a state law that went into
effect in 1992 to increase and protect the supply of affordable
housing along California's Coastal Zone. Per Government Code
Section 65590(c) of the Act, local governments may not approve a
project that will replace existing residential units with
non-residential uses unless it finds that a residential use is no
longer feasible at the project site or the new use is
Coastal-Dependent. This rule applies to both market-rate and
affordable units. If the city approves the project, then any
existing affordable housing units must be replaced one-for-one.
It is apparent that allowing short-term rentals to take over
rental housing within the Coastal Zone is a direct violation of the
Mello Act and the City's Interim Administrative Procedures. In the
case of shortterm rentals, the existing residential units are
converted to a non-residential, non-Coastal-Dependent use with a
clear commercial purpose. Without immediate enforcement of these
Mello Act violations, Venice and other impacted coastal
neighborhoods will continue to suffer a disastrous loss of housing
at all income levels.
5 LAANE, "AirBnB, Rising Rent, and the Housing Crisis in Los
Angeles," March 2015 - http://www.laane.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf
3
http://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdfhttp://www.laane.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AirBnB-Final.pdf
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As you can see, the growth of short-term rentals goes beyond
non-compliance and lost revenue. There is no amount of revenue that
can replace the housing that has already been lost. Furthermore,
any revenue collected will not be sufficient to support full
compliance and enforcement and replace the 10,943 units that have
already been converted. We are eager to work with you to create an
ordinance that protects housing, addresses neighborhood concerns,
and provides a framework to ensure effective enforcement. We thank
you for your consideration and the opportunity to continue working
with you.
Sincerely,
Judith "Judy" Goldman Keep Neighborhoods First
Cc: Mayor Eric GarcettiCity Attorney Mike Feuer Councilmember
Paul Krekorian Councilmember Bob Blumenfield Councilmember David
Ryu *Councilmember Paul Koretz Councilmember Nury Martinez
Councilmember Felipe Fuentes Councilmember Marqueece Harris Dawson
Councilmember Curren Price Councilmember Herb Wesson Councilmember
Mike Bonin Councilmember Mitch Englander Councilmember Mitch
O'Farrell Councilmember Jose Huizar Councilmember Joe Buscaino
4
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Heidi Ifft 17 Buccaneer St.
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012 ,
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term RentalsDear
Councilmember Bonin:My name is Heidi Ifft. I am a 40-something,
professional. I work as a talent representative, managing actors. I
have lived at 17 Buccaneer St. for over 20 years and I once loved
my quiet, peaceful neighborhood that has been turned into
fraternity row. I've e contacted you 3-4 times previously asking
for help.
I am AGAIN writing to urge you to quickly take action to curb
the short-term rental problem in Los Angeles, and relieve the
pressure it is putting on our neighborhoods.
I live in an older home, a duplex, built in 1917. Three years
ago my offsite landlord converted the upstairs unit of the house in
which I live - into a vacation unit. The noise level (no insulation
in older home) is unbearable and beyond words. I have spent many
nights sleeping in my garage. These people are on vacation. I,
however, must wake up and work.
In addition to extremely loud noise levels and general chaos, I
do not feel safe. I have no idea who is upstairs on any given day
or week. I am forced to share common space with people I don't know
- rude people - I don't want to know. The landlord doesn't even
know who they are or how many people he/she has living above me. I
don't know if they have been screened properly or if I am sharing
physical space with a rapist, pedophile, murderer or a thief.
At least once a week, a confused or drunken vacation renter
enters my house, by mistake, I assume. This is a VERY dangerous
situation for a single woman who happens to own a weapon for
protection.
In the past year, we have had two burglaries - that may or may
not -- have been connected to the revolving door of vacation
renters. In February, short-term renters "accidentally" poisoned my
dog. In March, there was a physical altercation in that unit;
neighbors who believed domestic abuse had occurred called the LAPD.
I have had been threatened numerous times by male vacation
renters.
In early May, there were at least 30 people upstairs yet the
landlord claimed there were only five (5). The foot traffic caused
framed photos to fall off my walls. Ceiling light bulbs fell to the
floor and shattered. My bedroom-ceiling fan came crashing down. I
had more damage, in one week, than I have had in every earthquake
combined over the past 20 years. This house cannot hold 30 people
safely. The landlord doesn't know (or doesn't care) how many people
are actually renting the upstairs unit.
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My neighbors complain TO ME about the noise, excess trash,
screaming children, drunken people dancing on the deck at 3:00 AM,
blocked garages, etc. I am NOT responsible.
Who will be held liable for a death or an injury? I strongly
fear that is what is going to happen ultimately. If the city drags
its feet much longer, I believe Los Angeles will incur liability
for turning a blind eye.
Last month, a venture capitalist purchased one of the units in
the building next door to me. He has turned that unit, 11 Buccaneer
St., Unit 3 into a vacation rental property. I am now officially
surrounded by illegal hotels and by people who actually frighten
me.
I have been complaining about living under an illegal hotel for
nearly three years. NO ONE will help. I cannot afford to move; in
fact, I am hemorrhaging money because I cannot find a roommate
willing to live under 'what sounds like' a Gymboree with a bowling
alley. I certainly would move if I could afford it. Even if I could
afford to move, the rental property inventory is very scarce
because everyone is turning his/her home or apartment into a
short-term, vacation rental.
As for "playing whack-a-mole" and not being able to catch or
prove the units are being illegally rented, I have collected pages
of audio recordings, texts from landlord, and photos of renters,
which prove I live under an illegal vacation unit. It isn't
difficult to obtain.
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.Thank you for your
consideration.Sincerely,
Heidi Ifft 17 Buccaneer St.Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
(310)827-0930
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The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmembers Bonin and Huizar,
I've lived in Los Angeles off and on for almost 15 years. I've
tried to make it work with other cities, but I always wind up back
in what always felt the most like home. But lately it's a hostile
place for creative types like me. As a freelance patternmaker
serving the apparel industry, I struggle to get clients willing to
pay more than the rate I've been charging since 2005.
So with rents skyrocketing and so little housing available, it's
becoming impossible for me to live here. I've even gone so far as
to start looking for work in Portland, to be one of the many
creatives migrating outside of California in search of affordable
housing. I first moved here to attend FIDM in 1990. It was so easy
to find a nice place to live in a good neighborhood, and I knew so
many people getting by on almost nothing, because LA was a city
where you could show up with nothing more than a dream and carve
out a life for yourself. Not anymore.
I am writing to urge you to quickly take action to curb the
short-term rental problem in Los Angeles, and relieve the pressure
it is putting on our neighborhoods. I really like the plan you
outlined, which I read about recently. I am so happy that you're
trying to fix this problem.
At the peak of the market in 2007,1 sold my Silverlake condo to
go to business school, hoping to return to LA and get the sort of
job that would enable me to buy a home in the hills in my favorite
city. Things changed a lot over those two years, and the job market
disappeared. I made my way back to LA anyway, knowing I could
always find work in fashion. I discovered how much DTLA had
improved and was so excited to live there and enjoy the absolute
most DIVERSE neighborhood I'd ever seen in Los Angeles. Having
lived here during the riots, I cherish anything that fosters
diversity in LA. Downtown's relationship with Skid Row, our growing
Metro rail sytem, the great streets initiative you just approved
(thank you!!!) all foster diversity & inclusion. I have often
said that I think NYC has such better racial integration than LA
because everyone rides the subway together. People sitting alone in
cars only serves to make us hate each other. That diversity is
threatened by Airbnb, by greedy landlords trying to focus only on
tourist and party rentals.
The cost of living here is also being ruined by short-term
rentals, as well as a host of other factors. I've been priced out
of downtown since I moved there in 2010, and now live in a
decrepit, squalid apartment in Frogtown with one of the few
landlords who isn't trying to rob tenants. She's lovely, but I
really miss being able to walk to work, or chat with my neighbors
in the rooftop Jacuzzi, or even wash my dishes in a dishwasher.
While plenty of apartment buildings forbid sub-leasing, there
are some downtown apartment buildings (I've heard) that are focused
primarily on Airbnb! Plus renting entire homes out destroys the
homebuying market for people who can buy homes they actually want
to live in. They're pitted against investors with wads of cash,
many of whom don't even live in America, but take their rental
income and
-
spend it all in China. That's one of the quickest ways to
improve our economy- don't just hardline shortterm rentals, tax
real estate investors so much they won't want to bother.
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.Thank you SO MUCH for caring about the
PEOPLE of LA!
Sincerely,Susanna Schick, MBA Sustainable Fashion LA2852 Rosanna
St #3 Los Angeles, CA 90039
-
July 28, 2015
The Honorable Mike BoninLos Angeles City Hall200 North Spring
Street, Room 475Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Council File #14-1635-S2, Short Term Rentals
Dear Councilmember Bonin,
I am a life-long Angeleno, born and raised. I have lived here in
Silver Lake for 19 years with my husband who is a born and raised
Silver Lake resident. My mother-in-law still lives in Silver Lake a
mile from us.
I am writing to strongly urge you to help the law-abiding
citizens of residential Los Angeles. Please draft enforceable, and
concise laws and rules in regards to short-term rentals. Currently,
as you and I know, these type of rentals are in violation of
current zoning laws and it is out of control. I urge you to quickly
take action to curb the short-term rental problem in Los Angeles,
and relieve the pressure it is putting on our neighborhoods.
In spite of the fact that short-term rentals violate zoning
laws, most of these rentals are not being forced to comply with the
law for some reason beyond my thinking. This nonenforcement has
caused "fights" in neighborhoods. In fact, in my "fight", I was the
victim of the owners of a short-term commercial Airbnb house. The
host/owners of the property once came to my front gate and started
yelling at me. They also falsely called the police on another
neighbor of mine. These Airbnb host/owners do not even live at the
Airbnb rental property here in Silver Lake. Last year, the
wife/Airbnb host and an unknown male rang my doorbell and banged on
my front gate, but I ignored them and called the police. I wasn't
sure what she intended to do to me. These owners filed a false TRO
against me back in August 2014, and the case was dismissed against
me. It cost me $3800 in attorney's fees. But this is what this TRO
was: an act of intimidation, vindictiveness and revenge against me
and my entire neighborhood because we filed complaints against them
with the City and LADBS. This is so unfair. They are breaking the
law and they take me to court! This gives you a glimpse into the
state of mind of these short-term rental hosts. They will say and
do almost anything to maintain their illegal income including, in
this case, commit perjury.
Many of the Airbnb hosts are the most shameless, unapologetic,
egregious, selfish, money- hungry people that I have ever heard
that has decided to break the law and try to justify in so many
ways. Whatever happened to my right to live in a residential
area?
-
I moved here 19 years ago into a residential area, not a
commercial zone. This is so unfair to me and my neighbors. When are
my City Councilmembers going to support me and my neighbors who
live here in residential areas? Please do it now, please.
I personally would not commit a crime because of financial
difficulty. There are other resources available to law abiding
citizens. But the majority of the short-term Airbnb hosts are
willing to break the law unabashedly. And most are not in financial
difficulty at all. They know that few of them are prosecuted or
forced to comply, so they have no fear about breaking this law. You
give them an inch, they take a mile. They feel as if they have a
right to operate illegally. Well, it is an outrage to me! Look at
the problems in San Francisco as a warning to Los Angeles. Most
hosts are not people in financial straights as is the common
"story" told by Airbnb, a company that claims to be worth $20
billion. Most listings here in Los Angeles area are called "Entire
home/apt" which tells you that they are NOT renting out a room in
their own homes, but rather are making income on commercial
rentals, and are not "home-sharing". It is time for them to "grow
up" and be responsible for their own financial situations like the
rest of society. It is not fair for people with means to use the
internet and their smart phones to make money like this. How many
hosts are really people with financial difficulty? And how many are
affluent people making money on this illegal activity? Having
financial difficulty does not give a person a "get out of jail
free" card. Are they allowed to break the law?
I ask that you put neighborhoods first, support enforcement of
existing zoning and occupancy laws that prohibit short-term
rentals, and craft legislation that protects affordable housing,
RSO housing, the stability of our communities and the quality of
life in our neighborhoods.
My heart is broken. I have loved living here in Silver Lake for
18 years, but the past 14 months has been very stressful and
upsetting for me because of the Airbnb rental house and their
owners.
Thank you for your consideration. Feel free to call me if you
want to know more.
Sincerely,
Jane Taguchi1963 Redesdale Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90039
See photos attached below. I put them here to give you a feel
for what it is like to live across the street from a "hotel", aka
Airbnb rental. Unfortunately, I could not take any night photos
because I don't have such a camera.
-
A’s Airbrios and the Betrayal of Public Trust
http://www.citywatchla.com/4box-right/9469-la-s-aiibnbs-and-the-betr...
LA’s Airbnbs and the Betrayal of Public Trust14 Aug 2015 Written
by Tony Butka @
THE CITY-Technically, “Airbnb” refers to a website where people
who own homes and other properties can rent them out on a
short-term basis. More generally, the term now refers to people
renting out their property for a period of less than thirty
days.
Like Uber arid other so-called “sharing” services, the entire
idea is fraught with controversy. For example, should people in a
neighborhood zoned for single family homes -- the historic backbone
of the City - be able to rent out their place for a week, a day, or
even overnight as a party house? Can the owner of a condo or
apartment building do the same?
Right now, the whole issue of short-term room and home rentals
has become a hot one in the City of Angels - sometimes pitting
homeowner against homeowner. There have been many articles, lots of
frustrated homeowners, many legal questions and negative impacts on
neighborhoods - it’s gotten so bad that even the Neighborhood
Councils have started to weigh in with Community Impact
Statements.
Fortunately, the City Council knows how to deal with
Neighborhood Councils: they just start adding Council Files with
extensions like -001, -002, so that they can require a new
Community Impact Statement for each new file. Our Tax Dollars at
work!
Now, this is what we call a REALLY BIG ISSUE: mainstream news
media, nasty slimy stuff happening...something that actually
requires the City Council to deal with a local issue of substance
like grownups. So what do our $200,000-a-year folks do?
Well for one thing, they have evidently muzzled the Deputy
Planning Director who had the temerity to issue a Memo questioning
the legality of Airbnbs -- depending on the zoning of a given
neighborhood. His name is Alan Bell, but just try and find his memo
--1 couldn’t. Only the articles referring to its existence.
Instead, thanks to President Wesson, who made two of the three
motions currently floating around concerning Airbnbs, the Council
did absolutely nothing to make any public policy determination as
to whether, orto what extent, the variations on these rental
schemes are legal.
These enterprises produce blight, crime, and/or lower the real
estate values of people unfortunate enough to live next to them.
But no sir, by god, the Council wants to figure out howto TAX them,
blowing off all of the homeowners in the City of Angels as so much
chaff.
Build a website called Airbnb, pay some bakeesh
and...”ka-ching:” the LA City Council is your friend and ally.
Maybe they can get in on the IPO.
And what about our buddy, Mike Feuer, the earnest City Attorney,
so beloved by the LA Times that they gave him a B+ grade? As usual,
he’s working with the developers, lobbyists, and “rental" agents to
find a way to write an ordinance that will effectively screw trie
taxpayers that pay his salary.
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http://www.citywatchla.com/4box-right/9469-la-s-aiibnbs-and-the-betr
-
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imp.//www.cnywaicnia.com/4Dox-ngntyy4oy-ra-s-airbnbs-and-the-betr...1
If history is a guide and when a lawsuit comes along, as surely
it must, he will probably subcontract the legal work to the law
firms that represent the Airbnb industry.
Now, I’m not smart like the City Council, the Mayor, and the
City Attorney. But I do know this -- in a legitimate government,
there should be some substantive discussions about what the
citizens of the various parts of the City really want. There should
be a lot of community meetings and an analysis of the zoning and
planning issues before any action is taken to give anyone a pass.
You know, like taking the pulse of the various neighborhoods and
trying to find a consensus. But not with our gang.
I know, I know, you think I’m making this stuff up. If only I
had the imagination to do that! Unfortunately, I stopped taking
mind-altering substances years ago, so I’m reduced to looking at
City Council files and the actions of our elected officials. No
sir, this one’s real.
Interestingly, four of the now five PLUM Committee Council
members were absent from the vote on this issue (Council File
14-0600-S89.) I can’t tell if they’re looking for some ‘extra
credit’ when the PLUM Committee swings into action, or just trying
to distance themselves from the pushback of their neighborhoods
when the citizens find out what’s happening.
As background, here’s a real life example of how this stuff
plays out in a really neat old part of town. You know, over by Echo
Park Lake, in the adjacent hills, where there are some very old and
very beautiful Victorian homes. This area is protected by a HPOZ
(Historic Preservation Overlay Zone.) So you would think that, at
the very least, it would be immune from the Airbnb madness. Right?
Wrong.
Right next to my 89 year-old mother-in-law’s house, a Westside
real estate developer swept in and built a 3-story, 4500 square
foot (originally 4000), ugly monstrosity that was so pitifully
constructed that he couldn’t even sell it in an up-market. Oh yeah,
he also added a swimming pool part way down the slope.
Aside from a briefcase full of violations during the building
process, the HPOZ went into hibernation, along with the Building
and Safety Department and everyone else involved in our city’s
oversight of building homes. So now, my mother-in-law has plenty of
shade as she stares into the wall of the new house next door.
Lest you think I’m done with my sad story, there’s more, as they
say in the Ginzu commercial. Since this developer couldn’t sell
this turkey, he cleverly set up a bunch of cut-outs and website
partners. The place is now what you and I would call a “party pad.”
Mostly weekends. Lots of cars, music and booze. And lots of big
black vans.
Now we find out that the City’s response to all of this is that
they’re going to pass an Ordinance to make Airbnbs legal in
exchange for taxes. I can hardly wait to tell my mother-in-law.
She’ll be thrilled.
Q/10/1AK 1 TYN,f
http://www.cnywaicnia.com/4Dox-ngntyy4oy-ra-s-airbnbs-and-the-betr
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,A’s Aiibnbs and the Betrayal of Public Trust
http://www.citywatchla.coin/4box-iight/9469-la-s-aiibnbs-and-the-betr...
Actually, this all raises yet another question. If my
mother-in-law ultimately decides she’s had enough and wants to sell
her home -- does the real estate agent have to disclose that the
property is adjacent to an Airbnb?
(Tony Butka is an Eastside community activist, who has served on
a neighborhood council, has a background in government and is a
contributor to CityWatch.)
-cw
CityWatch
Vol 13 Issue 66
Pub: Aug 14, 2015
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http://www.citywatchla.coin/4box-iight/9469-la-s-aiibnbs-and-the-betr